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Best of 2013 Contest

Feb 21, 2014

Before we get too far into this new year, we need to take a step back and revel in all the couples that began their marriages with m three studio in 2013. Yes, that’s right….it’s time for the BEST OF 2013 Contest!

When I was selecting the images for this blog post, it was the moments that sprang to mind immediately, not the pretty portraits or the careful details. That is only fitting. As much as the gorgeous dress, the beautiful flowers, the unique decor or the ah-mazing location may get my creative juices flowing on any given Saturday, it’s the stories – the moments in-between the love – that drive me. It’s your story that keeps me running for more than 8 hours in 3 inch heels with 30 pounds of camera equipment on my shoulder – to get that one shot that shows just how you feel, just who you are.

So, I’m going to give you a highlighted moment from each of last year’s weddings – the ones that encapsulate the day for me, the storyteller. You can click on their location name to see the whole wedding in it’s entirety and find your own favorite images.

And of course….scroll down to the bottom for the rules, the prizes, and to VOTE!

I’m confident that the Milwaukee Athletic Club has never been rocked so hard. These two truly know how to throw a party. This is my last shot of the night – the Mr. & Mrs. singing along, dancing and so very in the moment. I hated to leave.

Alexis’ face says it all – this was a day of multiple moments that crumpled faces into over-boiling emotion. You have to click thru to see Kevin’s tearful reaction to her entrance, and another favorite moment – the pre-ceremony prayer, powerfully delivered by the bridesmaids.

These two live life fully. They work hard, love hard, and certainly party hard. When the UW Marching Band made a surprise appearance at their reception – the place erupted. No one loved and reveled in the moment more than the bride and groom. You could taste the joy and alma-matter loyalty.

These two never miss an opportunity to surprise. They are like a swirling vortex of creativity, passion, style, dedication and confidence. When that vortex pauses (and trust me, it merely pauses), the calm is nothing but serendipity. When Rachael whipped out a flask in the middle of portrait time – getting a head start on the reception – I shouldn’t have been surprised. Ah, but I always am with Rachael & Jesse.

This isn’t a truly authentic moment – I invited Natalie & Brandon to dance in the atrium of the Overture Center. But I knew the classic structure of this image would be a great metaphor for the careful and meticulous nature they both posses, and the swirling action would speak to the whirlwind that was a three-month engagement.

I always tell clients that kids and pets steal the show. There was no exception to that rule for Alicia & T.J.’s adorable little girls. I’ll never forget this moment, with Mary running full speed down the aisle towards a delighted T.J. It’s just the sort of spontaneous joy that illustrates parenthood so well.

One of my favorite parts of Lake Park Bistro is the historical photographs hanging in the entryway. I had stolen Sarah & Adam away for a few pictures and then let them walk ahead of me to rejoin their guests for cocktails. As they approached, a murmur went thru the crowd, and then applause. I snapped this quickly, and then realized it’s symmetry later to a shot in that entry, from 100 years ago.

Everything about this greek wedding was big. But the very biggest part was the family depth. When the greek-by-brand-new-marriage Kristina took the lead for the traditional dance, and Dimitri’s whole family followed right behind without a bat of the eye – I saw what she saw in them, how much they loved her, and how much she loved them.

Matt fought hard to get Meghan’s attention when they first met. And judging by what I’ve come to know of her family, he fought hard to become one of them too. This reaction to Meghan’s Dad’s speech – where he was getting royally roasted as only a family member would – says it all.

It’s often the “just before” moments that get me. Lindsey & Sean wanted a causal, intimate wedding. That, they got with the immediate family that filled Marquette’s Joan of Arc chapel earlier that day. Here, they have just gotten off their vintage boat piloted over from her parent’s house to their reception – a giant tent filled with many more guests who hadn’t seen them yet that day, and at this exact snap – didn’t realize they had arrived. This right here is the last milli-second before it all erupts in celebration.

Theirs was an immensely colorful day, in so many ways. I could point to a hundred gorgeous, lush, amazing moments from their Indian ceremony that showcased that. But it was the speeches, this one tearfully given by a grateful father that pulled at my heart-strings and got my viewfinder misty.

Wes’ Mom carried a little pennant during this wedding ceremony that simply and joyfully read “YAY!”. It is that which would be the hashtag for this moment. I love the simplicity of it, the color and the excitement.

This day was fraught with emotion – with a rained out ceremony that had to be hastily relocated it was inevitable. But this moment I will never forget. Raechael’s Dad was lovingly reassuring as they waited to walk in, and I think when he went to hand her off, it all just hit her at once. To me, his face is full of pride and love and saying “It’s okay, you are where you belong”, and for her, it seems to be a ‘I still need my Daddy sometimes’ moment. I know just how she feels.

“I think if you can treat your spouse as well as you would a stranger, it will serve you well in your marriage” Carey’s Dad said something to that effect in his toast, and I’ll never forget it. Such wise words, and something I already see these two do every time I am with them.

I didn’t get to shoot this wedding (it was the fabulous Melissa behind the lens), so I don’t know what is actually being said here. But I do know that anytime you can get Laura fully embarrassed and John caught up in his full-face laugh, you are in good company.

This was a personal wedding for me (click to their blog post to hear about that) and so this was no ordinary Bride being escorted down the aisle. That’s a man I’ve known all my life next to her, and a woman who was once a toddler at my knees in the white dress. So this is personal moment choice. But it shows the handmade entrance doors (made by that Dad), her Mom’s spectacular gardening skills, and all their nearest and dearest waiting, along with Eric, on the family farm. This was a landmark moment.

This is the one moment I will always remember about Jill & Jason’s day. It’s an unlikely one if you consider all the other funny and surprising moments that handful of hours were filled with. But it’s Jason’s face that says it all and is seared into my memory. It’s connection – illustrated. Jill had just shown him the dog tags in her pocket – of their beloved and late Queenie.

This day was a tornado of activity. Families, kids, decorations, schedules, details – it all was in Jamie & David’s hands. But this moment, as they were worried about getting to their cocktails – this was the eye of the storm. A pause, just for a second, to take in the beauty in front of, and all around them.

It’s been described a thousand times before – that moment when a couple shuts out the world, and it’s just the two of them on the dance floor. It’s cliche I guess. The thing about supposed cliche moments though is that they are nakedly true. Just like this one.

I often ask a couple to just trust me – that I’ll ask them to do silly things, but I promise it will look amazing. This was one of those moments. Thankfully, Jess and Vinn did trust me, and they were having a grand time celebrating and reveling in the late fall sun. The swirl, the light, the dapper groom, the laughter. I can hear the laughter, even now.

This wedding day was all about the friends (who were also family many of them). So this shot of the group together, walking away to leave for the ceremony – it shows everything that mattered to Maddy & Kyle that day.

The Fine Print:

-Voters are recognized by IP address, and you can vote once a day, per IP address.

-The results are hidden, but we will be updating the standings regularly on Facebook and Twitter, so be sure you are a fan of m three studio in both places to get the latest totals!

PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES:We are awarding the top three vote getters (and a little extra!) because the race is always so close.

First Place
A 24×36 Gallery Wrap Canvas

Second Place
A 16×20 Gallery Wrap Canvas

Third Place
A 12×18 Gallery Wrap Canvas

BONUS PRIZES!Share this post on Facebook, or Pin an image from this or any of the weddings featured on Pinterest, and you will be entered in a random drawing for a $25 Target gift card. Because, who doesn’t love a little Tar-jay?

(just use the handy “share” button at the bottom of the post, or the “pin it” buttons that show up whenever you roll over an image you like)

VOTE HERE:

Thanks so much for voting! And heartfelt THANK YOU to all 25 of these couples who trusted me with their stories last year. It was such a humbling and memorable experience to walk in step with each of you!